Richard Guthrie
was a smuggler and the richest black-marketeer in the Bahamas. Because of this, he had become a powerful and dangerous man.Interview if Sean Michael Biography Background When Richard was a child, he would feed a stray cat that would scratch at the windows. Given that kindness was a rare trait in the Guthrie family, Richard's father misdiagnosed it as weakness. Joseph would flog Richard for feeding the cat and kick the cat for instigating, but the cat would keep coming back, Richard would keep feeding it and Joseph would keep beating them. Richard was always on the outside looking in when it came to the family business. His father and brothers held him in low regard. Roughly twelve years prior to 1715, Richard moved his wife and daughter from Boston to New Providence Island and began selling the pirates' plunder in his cargo ships. They briefly lived in the Governor's Mansion in Nassau before moving into the interior. Richard's growing pirate empire eventually drew the ire of Spain. They sent a fleet of ships who launched the Rosario Raids. They burned the structures on the beach and then in town. They then moved inland and continued raping, murdering and burning. Among the hundreds of dead was Richard's wife. Richard then moved to his estate on Harbour Island, and left Eleanor in the care of his slave, Mr. Scott. Scott was left in charge of the business in Nassau until Eleanor decided to step into her father's shoes. Richard has been bribing the Lords Proprietor for years, and they have agreed to make him the Governor of New Providence Island. Season One After Captain Flint took a merchant ship, and found that the ledger he was looking for was missing the page containing the information he was wanting, he went to Guthrie, believing that he could reconstruct the information on the missing page. Guthrie was less then pleased to see Flint, but sat down with him to discuss his plan. Flint explained that the Spanish had sent out the Urca de Lima, a treasure galleon carrying five million dollars in gold and goods. Flint explained that the Spanish had left the ship lightly-guarded, and taking the ship would benefit them both. However, Guthrie saw the risk as too great to even consider, as even enquiring of the ship's movements could result in his death. As Flint began to assault Guthrie, Billy Bones, who was there to keep Flint from overreacting, told them that British troops were entering the Guthrie home. Captain Hume, the commander of the Scarborough, came into the study, to find Flint and Bones sitting down, and Guthrie sitting behind his desk, handling a "meeting". Guthrie told Hume to return later. However, Hume informed Guthrie that he suspected him of smuggling and dealing with pirates and intended to arrest all three of them. Before he could, a brief fight took place, leaving Hume and his men unconscious, and Richard with a bullet in the arm. Flint and Bones took him back to the Walrus, with the intention to use him as leverage, should the need arise. Flint would eventually drop Guthrie off at Miranda Barlow's house to recover from his wound. Some days later, Richard Guthrie awoke to see his daughter, Eleanor, sitting on his bed. Eleanor tells Richard that she needs his help; to remain in business, they would require someone with ships and power. When he says nothing and looks away from her, Eleanor explains to him that he only has two choices: help her or flee to Boston where his father and brothers still live. Richard remains staunch and continues to say nothing. As he continues to heal, he begins to poke more around Miranda's house and eventually comes across a painting of Miranda and another man that is labeled "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hamilton." Guthrie eventually comes around and begins to support Eleanor's plan, especially her plan to take guns from Dyfed Bryson's ship to put to use on Flint's ship. Mr. Scott arrives to dress Richard Guthrie for the upcoming meeting with Bryson. Guthrie brags to Miranda about what a fine man Mr. Scott is. He states that at one time Mr. Scott was his personal houseboy and that Scott worked his way up into eventually earning an education, which he then passed on to Eleanor. Miranda questions why Guthrie is taking part in the attempt to get Bryson's guns. Guthrie responds that he must present himself as still in command of the functions of the trading company as opposed to being a wanted criminal. Were Bryson to find out that Guthrie was a wanted man, then Bryson would take him back to Boston in shame. At Eleanor's tavern, the meeting between the Guthries and Bryson takes place. Bryson seems stunned that Richard would go along with a plan such as the one to capture the Urca, but Richard tells him that the only thing that matters to him is profit and that they stand to gain quite a bit. Richard then asks to speak to Bryson alone. Bryson then accuses Richard of being desperate. He surmises that with the Scarborough docked nearby and with Guthrie taking part in such a risky plan, that something must be terribly wrong. As Richard Guthrie and Mr. Scott walk back to Miranda's cottage, Richard tells Scott that he fears that Eleanor will get herself killed. He states that if she continues on the path she is on, that either the British or the Spanish will kill her. When Scott asks Richard what he told Bryson in private, Richard confides that he has a plan in place that will save Eleanor from herself. He asks Scott to help him. Back at Miranda's cottage, Richard Guthrie returns from the meeting in town. Guthrie sits down and begins to converse with Miranda, who he calls "Mrs. Hamilton". He calls Miranda out for being the former Mrs. Thomas Hamilton, who was the grandson of Alfred Hamilton, the former Lord Proprietor of the Bahamas. Richard then begins to tell how he'd always heard a story about Mrs. Hamilton. He heard that Mrs. Hamilton, long rumored to be the cheating type, had begun an affair with her husband's best friend, a young Royal Navy officer. Upon finding out about the affair, Mr. Hamilton was so overcome with grief that he killed himself. Mrs. Hamilton is then said to have fled London with her lover, who Richard surmises must be Flint. Richard then offers to return her to civilization by taking her to Boston where she can find a fresh start. Richard meets with Pastor Lambrick at Miranda's house. Richard asks the pastor if he knows who he is, and Lambrick says that he is the reason New Providence Island is infested with criminals. Lambrick says that God teaches people not to cheer when others stumble, but Lambrick has to ask for God's forgiveness in the case of Richard. Richard then asks him about what God says about redemption. Lambrick tells him if he accepts God's love he will find it. Richard says he is prepared to go further. He admits to having brought the pirates to Nassau, and empowering and enriching them. He says his penance will be a simple one, he will see that the pirates are cast out of Nassau. The next day, Richard begins his new mission by telling the local pirates of the attempted arrest from the Royal Navy. He tells them that his assets, funds, and his ability to pay the crews for their works are gone. To make things even worse, he tells then that they do not have the means to pay off all the credit owed for goods already provided. He leaves the now angry mob with his daughter, who is left to deal with the problem. Richard then meets with Eleanor in her parlor. He tells her that without the pirates, the landowners will drive commerce in New Providence Island, and he has begun to forge new alliances with them. Eleanor asks him what he said to Scott to make him betray her, and Richard tells her that they talked like men and he saw reason. Richard seeks sanctuary at the Underhill Estate. There, he confesses to Underhill about his past sins, including the bribery of the Lords Proprietor in London for years. Richard tells him that he planned to use this to extort preferential treatment form them when England reasserts her rule in Nassau. Richard promises to see Underhill made governor, and Underhill grants him sanctuary. Lambrick informs Mrs. Barlow of this and begs her to seek safety after she betrays Flint. After the Consortium is successfully created, and its first cargo ship is prepared for its maiden voyage, Eleanor says their next order of business is removing Richard from the cargo operation entirely. She believes that he is plotting against them on the Underhill Estate. Season Two Richard Guthrie returns to Nassau and informs his daughter that he was there when Underhill was told of Eleanor's proposal to sell his goods on her ships. Underhill reacted angrily and said no, but Richard believes that that was because he wanted to agree to it. Richard says Eleanor wants legitimacy in the eyes of London, but cannot have that unless she stops selling stolen goods. The landowners on New Providence want greater profits, but cannot have those until they figure out a way to ship their goods out of Nassau free from the dangers the pirates present. Richard believes that there is a partnership to be had. Eleanor does not trust her father, saying that he is asking her to give up the fence so he can make all her dreams come true. She calls his lies the manure from which she sprouted. In Eleanor's tavern, Richard Guthrie appears along with Miranda Barlow and Flint begins to outlay his plan. He tells everyone that England is soon going to assault Nassau in an attempt to exterminate the pirates on the island. Flint states that there is a way that their downfall can be avoided and that Abigail Ashe is the key. Flint believes that if he returns Abigail to Peter Ashe, that Ashe will be more likely to promote the idea of providing pardons to all the pirates of Nassau. Vane demands that he will only hand Abigail over to Flint if he is given the Spanish Man of War. Flint states that he absolutely will not do this and Vane leaves the meeting. Later, Eleanor guarantees to Flint that everything will work out and that Vane will agree to the terms. Richard Guthrie and Barlow are awaiting the arrival of Eleanor with Abigail in the tavern. Soon, Eleanor and Abigail appears. Abigail recognizes Barlow and hugs her. When Eleanor heads to her office, Richard Guthrie approaches and embraces his daughter, who returns the embrace. Richard then rides to the Underhill Estate in a carriage along a foggy road with a few mercenaries. After noticing the spooked horses, they stop. Richard orders his men to go have a look. Richard goes with them and tries to look ahead, and men are waiting on the road for them. Richard is kidnapped by the crew of Charles Vane and crucified in Fort Nassau, which they then abandon. His body is discovered by Jack Rackham and Augustus Featherstone discover the body and send word to Elean or. When she arrives, Frasier gives her the note pinned to his body. The note written by Vane says that he was once a slave and is resolved to never again be one. He says Richard wanted to return Nassau to the yoke of the British Empire and thus, deserved a traitor's death. Vane promises to settle the rest of his accounts once he returns to Nassau. While Richard's body is being prepared, individual mourners approach Eleanor in her office to offer condolences. Rawls tells her that he had been a pauper until Richard helped him ply a trade, and he will never forget this kindness. Max arrives with bread and fruit from the girls at the Inn. Max says she understands how difficult this is for Eleanor due to her complicated relationships with her father and Vane. Eleanor coldly responds that she made a move and Vane retaliated, and that is what happens in a war. She says that the other mourners are coming to her because they are making clear which side they are on. Richard's funeral is held in the interior. Pastor Lambrick reads the 23rd Psalm during the procession. After the burial, Eleanor goes to Underhill and requests a meeting. Season Three Eleanor discusses with Woodes Rogers her and her father's beginnings in Nassau. She vows to help him, declaring Nassau to be "her father's house" and wants to see it set right. Mr. Scott tells Flint that he helped create the camp on the Maroon Island as it is before the Rosario Raids. He said that there had been whispers for a long time that Spain planned on retaliating against Richard and his growing pirate empire. Scott couldn't leave his wife and daughter in harms way, so he moved to them to the camp, which was smaller and more disorganized then. No one disbelieved Scott when he said that his wife and daughter were among the hundreds of slaves killed in the raid. Scott was left to oversee the business, but wearing the crown made travel between Nassau and the camp near impossible. He encouraged Eleanor to take a leadership role so he could oversee the management of both the camp and Nassau outside the scrutiny of both. Eleanor visits Vane in his cell and promises that if he signs a confession to his crimes, his stay in London will be short and dignified, his sentence carried out quickly and quietly. Vane says Eleanor doesn't care about any of his crimes except for the one no one else seems to care about: the murder of Richard Guthrie. Eleanor goes into a rage and strikes Vane, calling him an animal. Vane tells Eleanor that Richard betrayed her. When Vane and his men first apprehended Richard, he promised to make Vane rich. When that didn't work, he promised to deliver Eleanor to Vane. Vane tells Eleanor that Richard was cowardly, selfish and treachorous and only cared about himself and not at all for Eleanor. Vane goes on to say that Eleanor always put aside men who loved her in exchange for the ones who told her what she wanted to hear. Season Four Marion Guthrie, Richard's mother, tells Max and Jack the story of Richard and the tomcat, comparing it to Nassau's cycle of violence. Memorable Quotes By Richard "For years, we've all profited in this place, trading on the stability of my family's name. But unfortunately, our circumstances have changed. A fortnight ago, His Majesty's Navy attempted to place me under arrest. I am, since that day, a fugutive marked for execution by the Crown. Unbeknownst to me, my family in Boston learned of this and ordered Captain Bryson to liquidate our holdings here. I convinced him to leave behind the contents of our warehouse, but that is all. To those of you owed credit or for whom we held goods on consignment, I leave it to my daughter to see you made whole as best we can." - ''Richard to the pirates of Nassau in V. About Richard ''"I never much liked your father. Too caught up in appearances." ''- Flint to Eleanor Guthrie in II. ''"He was a cowardly, selfish, treachorous shit who cared only for himself and for you not at all."- Charles Vane to Eleanor in XXVII. Image Gallery Richard_Guthrie.jpg richardscott.jpg billyguthrieflint.jpg Eleanorrichardmeeting.jpg Reference Category:Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:Major Characters Category:Civilian Category:Killed by Charles Vane